Brachyrhamdia meesi SANDS & BLACK, 1985

Classification

Distribution

Type locality is ‘near Belem, Brazil’, i.e., the city of Belém near the mouth of the Amazon River in Pará state. It’s precise distribution is unclear, however, with one record pertaining to the Río Madre de Dios basin, several thousand kilometres from Belém in southeastern Perú.

Maximum Standard Length

Maintenance

A substrate of fine sand is ideal, and the tank can be further-decorated with driftwood roots and branches. Although aquatic plants aren’t likely to be a feature of its natural habitat species from genera such as Microsorum, Taxiphyllum, Cryptocoryne and Anubias may survive attached to items of décor.

It’s intolerant to the accumulation of organic wastes and requires spotless water at all times in order to thrive, therefore a stringent regime of weekly partial water changes and aquarium maintenance should be employed.

Reproduction

This species is rare in the aquarium hobby and normally imported only as bycatch among shipments of other fishes, particularly Otocinclus spp. It can be told apart from the similar-looking B. marthae by possession (vs. absence) of a dark vertical bar running through the eye.

Several Brachyrhamdia species have developed colour patterns that mimic syntopically-occurring Corydoras spp. throughout the life-cycle, and the remainder, including B. meesi, may mimic Otocinclus or smaller Corydoras spp. when juvenile. They’re easily told apart from Corydoras by their significantly longer barbels and lack of scute-like plates on the body.

Among other catfishes they’re closely-related to members of the genus Pimelodella, but differ in that the posterior cranial fontanelle is closed and forms two small foramina whereas in Pimelodella it is wide open.

The family Heptapteridae was previously considered a subfamily (Rhamdiinae) of the family Pimelodidae, but molecular studies appear to have confirmed its monophyly. It’s most closely-related to the familes Pimelodidae, Pseudopimelodidae, and the genus Conorhynchos.

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